Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Gulf Jazz

Saxophonist ©Sue Pownall 2011

Light & movement.
Last Saturday, some friends and I went to the Gulf Jazz Festival held here in Doha. Although, it was very dark in the Grand Hyatt's ballroom I was determined to sketch: I've loved trying to draw musicians since the concerts in Turin last winter. First off I drew the stage before the first act started. Then, trying a new sketching technique I've got from the fabulous watercolourist Kris Wiltse, her sketchbook is here, I painted the musicians from the first act directly in watercolour without drawing first. Also they were painted without being able to see what I was doing either. The organisers used a blue and a yellow spotlight, hence the paint choice (see photo). In the second act I was listening to the music, when I realised the saxophonist was standing in the empty space of my first sketch, so I drew him in.
Portraits in blue. ©Sue Pownall 2011